Richard Thompson covers Bob Dylan – Happy Birthday Mr. Thompson!

Richard Thompson covers Bob Dylan

Richard Thompson has done a lot of other people’s songs, often with great result. Today we see/listen to how he copes with Dylan’s songs. First solo then with Fairport Convention.

Girl from the North Country, very good version, the guitar playing is sublime! It is taken from a concert at the City Winery, New York, 15th Feb 2012:

Bob Dylan medley from the bootleg, Big City Classic , recoded on the 4th March 1992 at the Bottom Line , New York.
The Medley consists of bits of ‘Tears of Rage’, ‘Desolation Row’, ‘Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues’ and ‘It takes a lot to Laugh, a Train to Cry’. He stumbles a bit in the lyrics but brings himself nicely back on track, a curiosity:

Here is an out-take from the Unhalfbricking sessions. “We would have added more instruments to this Bob Dylan-composed track had it been chosen to be on the album. As it is, its simplicity is one of the strongest points”:

Fairport Convention – Jack O’ Diamonds, From their self-titled first album. 1968. It was a traditional folk song from long before Dylan’s time. Ben Cruthers got a few of the lyrics from a poem on the back of Another Side of Bob Dylan. The music was by Ben Carruthers who released it as a single in England in 1965. So it was more inspired by Dylan than actually written by him:

Fairport Convention – Million Dollar Bash (1969):

Going, Going , Gone (live 1981):

If someone knows about other Dylan covers, please let me know in the comments.

I think that the cover of “It takes a lot to laugh, it takes a train to cry” by the Performing Gibsons merits inclusion as they are Ian Matthews with Richard Thompson and Andy Roberts, helped out by Ian Whitteman, Pat Donaldson and Gerry Conway. They recorded it on 13 april ’71 and it was broadcasted on 26 april 1971 by Bob Harris BBC 1. Released on “Orphans & Outcasts (A Collection Of Demos) Volume 1 – 1969-1979”
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“Going, Going, Gone” by the GP’s on “Saturday Rolling Around”. The GP’s are Richard Thompson, Ralph McTell, Pat Donaldson and Dave Mattacks
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“Country Pie” on “Moat on the Ledge” by Fairport Convention. Recorded live at Broughton Castle, Banbury, Oxfordshire on August 15, 1981. RT was part of FC at this reunion.
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“Lay Down Your Weary Tune” and “Open The Door Richard” both on “Live at the BBC” by Fairport Convention with RT still a member
There’s more, but these are all off. released.